The Strike was not so Striking

The strike this past Wednesday was really uneventful. I admit, I expected something epic. I expected traffic jams, jammed-packed subways, over-crowded buses, and most of all, I expected school to closed down because all the teachers made it sound like the world was ending. On the contrary, it was another normal day going to school. Unfortunately for us students, we did not really get to experience something epic like it seemed like it could have been. I haven´t seen a real strike in the U.S.A and I hoped media would cover the strike greatly and not only cover the stories, but help spread the news for workers to go on strike. According to the Reuters website, ¨Zapatero cut civil servants' wages by 5 percent as part of an austerity package after investors drove up Spanish borrowing costs earlier this year over fears the country could be heading for a debt crisis that would trigger a Greek-style bailout.¨ For a wage cut as much as five percent, I would think that more of the Spanish population would have been outraged.

According to Reuters Website, “Trade unions said 10 million people, or more than half the workforce, walked off their jobs, but the government said less than 10 percent of public administration workers and 20 percent of Madrid transportation workers were on strike.” I did not think numbers were this high because I did not see any remote of trouble when I walked to the metro in the morning nor did I have a problem going home after school. But most of all I thought the strike was not a big deal and really did not prove a point to Americans such as myself. According to Western Europe analyst at ControlRisks, ¨The Spanish protest doesn't seem to be large enough to really change anyone's view, either in the market or amongst the Spanish people." I too felt as though the strike did not make much of an impact and was weak. Perhaps the next strike will make more of a difference.